


Storybrooke Library Calender.

by BarPurple



Series: Spin Me a Yarn [8]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Calendar, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 16:14:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7581124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple





	Storybrooke Library Calender.

It had taken Rumple a very long time to become comfortable with his body. Years of Milah belittling and berating him had reduced his confidence to near zero, becoming the Dark One, all scales and glitter, had just cemented the belief in his mind that his was physically unappealing. Oddly enough the years under the First Curse had helped him somewhat; the sharp tailoring of Mr Gold had returned some confidence in his appearance. It was Belle who gradually broke down his defensive walls and brought him to the point where he was comfortable with being seen naked, only by Belle of course, he wasn’t going to strip his shirt off in the park like Charming or Hook, but in private for Belle, that was a different matter entirely.

He was grateful that he was able to walk around their home in the buff. Maine was experiencing a heatwave and wearing anything was unbearable even for him. His magic was great at keeping the cold out, but it had never been as good at keeping him cool. This is why Belle came home from the library that day to find him knitting in his birthday suit.

Belle strolled into the study and stopped in her tracks when she spotted Rumple in his huge leather armchair. She let her eyes roll over his bare chest, appreciating the way the lean muscles of his arms jumped as his fingers flew over the knitting needles in his hands. He was working with soft gold yarn today, making what looked to be an extra-long scarf, the finished fabric spilled over his lap and pooled on the floor between his legs, which were also bare. She bit her lip as she watched his long toes tapping in time with the clicking of the needles.

“Are you wearing anything?”

He gave her a saucy smile; “Not a stitch.”

The afternoon sunlight was bright through the partially closed blinds, it meant the Rumple was bathed in golden light, but also in shadow. It was artistic and exactly what Belle needed, in more ways than one. Regina wanted the library to sell souvenirs for the town. Belle hadn’t been overly impressed with the sample keyrings and postcards she’d been shown and the town calendar Regina had put together was dull, but now Belle had an idea.

She suggested it to Rumple over dinner, after he’d slipped on a pair of loose sweatpants and a tee-shirt, (he refused to cook naked). For the first time in quite a while he flat out refused her.

“It’s not happening Belle. I mean it’s an interesting idea and I know you’d make sure it was tasteful, but we live in a town of real life heroes, there are plenty of square jawed, chiselled chested, pretty boys for you to use. You don’t need this old monster ruining sales for you.”

“I happen to love you naked.”

Rumple sighed; “I know sweetheart, but you are an incredibly rare woman.”

She let it drop, not wanting to push him back into his shell, but she couldn’t let the idea of the calendar go. Over the next few days she talked to a few of the men. David was reluctant, but Killian jokingly egged him on saying he was game. The prince rolled his eyes and agreed, as long as Snow had no objections. Belle hadn’t expected the dwarves to sign up, but Leroy said he’d represent his brothers since it was for a good cause. Archie had approached her and enthusiastically offered his services. Sean and Eric were both keen and suggested some great settings involving the cannery. Jefferson was happy to help, but insisted that he’d keep his top hat on so he didn’t feel totally naked. August was cautiously positive about the plan, while Whale said yes before Belle had even finished asking him. Belle realised it had been a mistake to ask Robin for his help when Regina strutted into the library and slammed the brakes on the whole plan.

“We are not having a bunch of naked men posing around town. If you want to go ahead with this insane plan then you can keep it to the library, but don’t be surprised when you fail and don’t sell a single copy.”

Belle had felt deflated by that, she couldn’t come up with enough settings in the library for twelve separate shots. Robin, who felt bad that Regina had halted the original plan, suggested that they add knitting to the mix.

“Most of the chaps you’ve asked are part of Gold’s knitting group. It might work.”

He had a point; Rumple’s knitting group was known outside of Storybrooke and the items they produced sold so well there was a waiting list. Hopefully they’d get a few sales from Rumple’s Raverly contacts. Belle wished Rumple would agree, him knitting naked just as she’d found he would be a perfect shot. She shook the thought away sadly.

Sir Morgan offered to be their photographer, it turned out he’d had an interest in photography before he’d been transported to Camelot and had spent a lot of time since his return to the Land Without Magic developing his skills. After looking at the portfolio he’d brought for her to see Belle had to agree he had a great eye for framing a beautiful shot.

A few weeks later everything was in place. Belle and Sir Morgan had worked out all of the shots, including two group shots since they only had ten volunteers. The guys were joking and starting to strip off when the library doors banged open. Everyone froze as Rumple strolled in, his cane tapping against the floor. A flick of his hand closed the door behind him and the blots slid into place with a solid thunking sound. His hands came to rest one over the other on the handle of his cane.

“If you still want me Belle. I’ll do it.”

There was a rapid clicking of heels as Belle ran to her husband and hugged him. Morgan ripped up the sketch he’d made for the second group shot with a grin.

Leroy was the easiest to photo, posed with a huge swath of knitting in his lap, laughing as Morgan joked with him to be careful and not knit his beard into the stitches.

Whale took a while longer, because he kept getting distracted by the puppies that were part of his shot, and forgetting to read the book he was holding.

Eric learned from Whale’s mistakes and posed perfectly reading the book in his lap as he sat in one of the big armchairs Belle had put in the reading corner of the library.

They needed a little magical help from Rumple to get the lighting right in the clock tower for August’s shot on the metal stairs. Morgan also asked him to change the position of the clock’s hands for Robin’s shot, rather them have to wait another hour for them to be perfect.

Sean got hollered at more than once for dancing while he was shelving books, but was okay once he got his nerves under control.

Morgan caught a brilliant shot of David serenely carding fleece and an adorable one of Hook concentrating so hard on his knitting loom that his tongue was peeking out of the corner of his mouth.

Archie was a little nervous of the kittens and their claws as he sat winding balls of wool, but the kittens were well behaved and earned the treats they were paid with.

After a bit of persuasion Jefferson removed his hat as he lounged against the shelves reading, but it did appear in the bottom corner of the photograph.

Belle could see Rumple was terrified behind his mask of cool indifference as the time came for him to shed his white robe. At Belle’s request he’d summoned his spinning wheel for his picture. For a moment it looked as if he might bolt, but then he slipped out of the robe and took his seat at the wheel. Morgan let him spin for a few moments until he relaxed then snapped the perfect shot from behind, his hands were picked out by the light and his face was mostly hidden by his hair, the spokes of the wheel slightly out of focus as they turned.

Belle helped Rum back on with his robe as he took a small round of applause from the other guys. The final shot was the group on for December, it was the only one that had a holiday theme, if eleven Santa hats could be called a theme. 

There was a bit of organization needed to get the men in line in a way that looked right with their varying heights, Rumple ended up in the centre next the Leroy with the taller man flanking them. Everyone had their back to the camera and their Santa hats firmly on their head. Belle thought that this was the final shot, but the men had something else in mind. Morgan kept snapping away as David said;

“By the left! About turn.”

The move wasn’t a parade ground perfect, but them all ended up facing the camera hands firmly covering the essentials, ready for the next order from the prince.

“Relocate headgear!”

Eleven Santa hats were pulled from heads and lowered to groin level. Belle only had eyes for Rumple who was wearing a smirk.

“Wait for it! Full Monty!”

The hats flew into the air.

The Full Frontal Edition of the Storybrooke Library calendar was limited to a run of only eleven copies, but the standard edition sold so well that Regina apologised to Belle and gave the green light for a town wide edition for next year.


End file.
